The Order
by DxBellx29
Summary: Completely AU:  The Descendents of the DAO/Awakenings and DA2 have lived on; living in our world and present day and age. They are now simply known as "The Order", protecting mankind from the Darkspawn threat; but is that the only threat continuing?
1. Chapter 1

The Order

_"There's a saying, that history is written by the victor; their lies become your truth. Over four hundred years ago, the world had fallen into turmoil. Darkspawn had poured out, the fifth blight had been unleashed onto the nation of Ferelden. The Grey Wardens Alistair Theirin and Elissa Cousland had gathered an army of humans, dwarves, elves and mages, and defeated the blight. Not much later, in the city state of Kirkwall, the tension between the magi and templars had boiled over, causing an all out war, involving the Chantry, with innocents slaughtered on both sides. The Champion of Kirkwall had enlisted the help of her brother, who was also a Grey Warden. It was unusual for the Grey Wardens to become involved in political warfare, but when magi of Grey Wardens were threatened to be placed under the blade as well, the Grey Warden headquarters in Weisshaupt could not ignore it. The Hero of Ferelden and the Champion of Kirkwall had allied together, putting a stop to the massacre. Treaties were created between nations and all races. The Elven and Qunari had retreated to seclusion, the Chantry had become what you now know as the Catholic Church, and well...the Grey Wardens were charged with protecting mankind against the constant threat of the Darkspawn, as well as protecting the history that was rewritten over the centuries...the taint in our blood had evolved the minute that Alistair Theirin and Elissa Cousland had conceived; therefore opening the doorway to what we now are...we protect the truth we know, and the lies you see and live every day, through our treaties and through constant cover up. We are now simply known as The Order."_

Chapter 1

The cool breeze tickled Isla's face as she made her way through the cemetery. She stopped in front of a large crypt; the designs of the ancient griffons were carved in detail on the doors, with four family seals as the encrypted locks. She knelt to the ground, placing two large bouquets of white roses at the doorstep. She looked up, brushing her raven colored strands of hair out of her face. Sighing, Isla crossed her arms over her chest, bowing slightly in respect, "For you, father and mother. Today, I honor your sacrifice in the name of the Maker and his bride Andraste, in defending mankind against the threat of the Darkspawn."

She sat back on the ground, staring at the crypt. Isla knew that her fate would call for her to one day be laid to rest. It was the wish of her parents; she was born within the top four of the Warden families of the Keep. But, she was the only female within the top four families. Her ancestor was one of the first Grey Wardens to reproduce the taint. She was Isla Hawke, descendant of Carver Hawke. Her parents, Tyler and Branna Hawke had died during a battle with Darkspawn two years ago.

The Grey Wardens had evolved over the centuries, providing heirs of the taint, working with the Warden Magi to evolve the blood in their veins to survive, and produce Wardens instead of having to strictly rely on the potentially fatal Joining ritual. It began with Alistair and Elissa, which had gained the attention of the First Warden in Weisshaupt. The Wardens were able to reproduce, with the help of the enchantments of the Magi. The process became duty that was eventually bred into the blood of the Wardens as the darkspawn threat continued. Only one child would live; and as if by will of the Maker himself, the top four bloodlines had risen to power within the Wardens, providing only male heirs, until Isla had been born.

As Isla's fingers began to idly thumb at the amulet around her neck, the Warden's Blood Oath of Carver Hawke, passed down through her family, she almost didn't feel the nudge on her back. She smiled, turning to her faithful hound. He sat next to her, staring at the doors of the crypt, whining with worry. Her hound had imprinted on her at puppy hood; she was the last of her generation to finally have one. The legendary Mabari hounds had evolved over time as well, becoming immune to the taint, which was still a mystery to the Wardens this day. They had evolved to resemble a mastiff, however larger than normal, and with a much longer lifespan. The species had retained the intelligence they were prized for, as well as their loyalty and imprinting ability.

"I miss them so much, Carell." Isla sighed, as she began to pet her hound's back. "I miss my father's hug, my mother's laugh." She bowed her head, placing her hands into her lap. "I _can't_ kill the hurt out of me."

She heard a long whine from her hound, as he placed his chin onto her shoulder, looking at her. She turned her head, looking at Carell, smiling slightly as he let out a low huff, staring at her. "No matter how satisfying it is to kill the Darkspawn, I can't seem to let go."

A low and muffled ringtone of a cell phone broke the moment, and Isla rolled her eyes, digging through her pocket. Isla answered the phone, "Yes sir?"

_"There is a meeting to be called within the Keep Planning Room in thirty minutes."_ She heard Kian Theirin, the Commander of the Weisshaupt Keep, ordered on the other end of the phone.

"Yes sir, I will be there."

After Isla had hung up her phone, she looked at her hound, shaking her head. "Never can get a moment of peace, can we?" She asked, with a slight smile.

* * *

><p>"Just concentrate on it, Dillon."<p>

Dillon Hawke lifted his hands slightly, as they began to glow, his grey eyes focused on the box that began to levitate off of the ground at his command. His mentor, and father, Isaac stood behind him, coaching him to use his magic. The box then fell as the door behind them opened, causing Dillon's concentration to break. Isaac turned around, staring at the guard that came into the room. "I apologize, sir," The young guard crossed his arms over his chest, bowing in respect to the older mage, "But Commander Theirin had called for an emergency meeting in the Planning room. He requested for you and Dillon to be present."

Isaac nodded, and grabbed the coat hanging on the back of a nearby chair, "Where is Isla?"

"She had been informed, sir. She is making her way to the room from the Warden Crypt." The guard told him.

Isaac nodded, and the guard left. Dillon shook his head, as his father turned to look at him. Isaac adjusted his coat, as he and his son walked out of the room. "I tried talking to her, but she's still in mourning." Dillon told him.

"It's understandable. However she _must_ be focused. She cannot let her grief overtake her, especially with the possible rise of the broodmothers again." Isaac told his son.

Isaac was worried about his cousin's daughter, and how she frequently snuck out of the Keep unaccompanied, slaying Darkspawn in a fit of her own vengeance. As he walked alongside his son towards the room, he squeezed the bridge of his nose, as if attempting to squeeze out a headache. "Don't worry, we know to make sure the female Wardens aren't left out of the Keep alone." Dillon reassured his father.

Isaac nodded, "The Darkspawn are doing whatever they can to take women. If they get a hold of a female Warden, especially one of the Top Four bloodline, we have no idea what can result of that; and we cannot take that risk."

* * *

><p>The doors hissed as they slid open, allowing Colin into the hallway. He walked towards a room, pressing in a code on the keypad posted near a door, and pressed his hand against the screen for verification. The name <em>Colin Theirin<em> appeared on the screen, allowing him access. The meeting had already begun without him. He cursed at himself as everyone turned to look at him, to include his father, Kian, who was conducting the meeting. "I'm sorry I'm late," Colin stated, as he sat in his chair next to Isla.

She stared at him, as Kian continued the meeting, shaking her head as Colin leaned into her, "Did I miss anything?"

"Have you not noticed the _huge_ tentacle on the table?" She snapped at him, slightly. "Where _were_ you, anyway?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Ahem!" They heard.

The two looked up, noticing Kian glaring at them, his arms crossed in annoyance. "If you're not done?" Kian asked them.

"I apologize, sir." Isla sighed.

The corner of Colin's mouth slightly turned upwards, as he sensed a hint of jealousy in his friend's voice. She folded her hair behind her ear, and he noticed her sigh heavily, as she looked up at Kian. Colin looked at the table top, seeing the tentacle Isla referred to. "So, if the Darkspawn are kidnapping women again, that _has_ to mean that either the Vanguard are not doing their jobs, or there's other entrances to the Deep Roads we aren't aware of," Sean Howe spoke up.

Kian stood, and turned to the screen behind him. "Our two scouts that had found this had taken photographs of the area. What _concerns me_ is this," He touched the screen, enlarging an area on the photo for a better view. "Golden Gate Park."

"I propose that we organize a mission," Isla stood, "If the darkspawn are kidnapping women to make Broodmothers, I want in. What _I_ propose, is this," Isla walked towards the screen, staring at the photo, "We all know the Darkspawn has their _Firsts_ creating deals with sleaze bags. When it comes to vulnerable women within the city, and snatching them in the dark of night," She turned to her comrades, "Send me in undercover. The Darkspawn only hang about when absolutely needed, and we'll be able to sense it. If it's women they want," Isla crossed her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes, "Then it's a hell of a woman they'll get."

"Are you sure that's smart? You're one of the Top Four, not to mention you're the _only_ female Top Four." Colin smirked, leaning back in his chair.

"Who else is capable of handling herself better if something were to go wrong then, _smartass_?" Isla hissed.

"Ha!" Colin laughed out loud, "That's why I'm going with you." He stood, facing her, "I'm not going to let your personal feelings get into the way of your decision making, Isla." He told her.

"Isla, you, Colin, Dillon, and the two scouts that had brought this to our attention will go. You will conduct this tomorrow evening." Kian stated. "Female Wardens are _not_ to travel without a male companion, is that clear?" He almost pointed his last statement towards her.

"Understood." Isla agreed.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- This is a different take; it's completely AU with "memories" of their ancestors of the DAOAwakenings and DA2 era...so, at the motivation of the lovely Isabella Monroe, I had decided to post this to ! Thank you for your reviews and reading (in advance of course!) and please, let me know of any suggestions...I am in need of a Beta for this fic, since my energy will be concentrated onto this fanfiction. It will be in a "series" on my website, but I will post the first fic of it on here...thanks again!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Colin leaned against the door frame of the entrance to the mat room of the gym. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching the raven haired woman roll herself backwards into a series of back flips. He rubbed his chin as he watched her; she seemed to be almost as flexible as a rubber band, which constantly amazed him. Others around her were also working on their acrobatics, stretching or martial arts, but he kept his eye on the fiery tempered Warden that caught his stare as she turned to him. "You need something?" Isla asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

Colin's smug smile boiled Isla's blood; she hated it when he looked at her like that. His hazel eyes bore into her as he walked towards her. "I wanted to ask you something, Isla." He said.

She began walking past him, wanting to ignore him. "No, Colin, I'm not in the mood right now for your jokes or your stupidity." She retorted.

Colin rushed to walk next to her. "Well, actually, I was wondering about that _jealous_ tone you had back in the meeting earlier."

Isla rolled her eyes, as she cocked an eyebrow and looked up at him. "You really think that was _jealousy_?" She asked him.

Colin shrugged, as the two stopped to look at each other. "What can I say? I'm a catch, aren't I?" He smiled.

"You're a pig." Isla sniped. "I don't _care_ what you do with your personal life, you ass. Duty is a _priority_, right?"

The two stopped, looking at each other. Colin frowned, as he placed his hands on his hips, attempting to look for an answer. On a mission earlier that year, in a "celebration of life", Colin had kissed Isla, telling her how much he cared for her, after she had been healed from being near death due to a fight with a small group of darkspawn. He had taken back his words later with telling her that duty to the Order was a priority over their own desires. Her attitude towards him had changed since. Isla shook her head, and began walking away, "I'll see you tonight when we meet up for the mission."

* * *

><p>"I just don't understand him sometimes, Dillon. He gets on my nerves way too easily," Isla sighed, as she browsed through the clothing rack.<p>

Her cousin stood near her, inside of the clothing store. "You may have taken his statement differently than he intended, Isla." Dillon told her.

He glanced around, his eyes scanning the store. Dillon had always been nervous of the fact that humans were able to see their weapons that were hidden under enchantment runes done by the magi of the order. His cousin kept her dagger belt full, her pistols strapped to her thighs, and silverite short swords secured into the scabbards that were strapped to her back. His lyrium formula filled the pouch secured on his waist, and he settled to use his magic from his hands as his weapons. He noticed his cousin turning to look at him with concern, "Everything alright?" She asked him.

Dillon nodded. "I'm just always nervous about the runes not working, is all." He admitted.

Isla shook her head, "Don't worry. Human eyes see what they can only comprehend. That's the reason why these runes work so damned well, Dillon." She smiled, as she urged him towards the door of the store.

The two walked out, onto the busy streets of the city, collecting Isla's hound that waited patiently outside near the store. The dog received many stares as they walked through the crowds, due to his massive size. Dillon stopped suddenly, placing his hand onto Isla's arm, gripping her arm tightly. "Dillon?" She asked him.

As if on queue, Isla heard her mabari growl with a warning. She looked up, "What is it?"

"My-mana. It's-"Dillon grunted in pain as he nearly fell, but was caught by Isla. "It's-draining!" He struggled.

"Templars!" Isla ground her teeth. She held her cousin, as she helped him towards an alleyway nearby, her mabari following closely.

As they reached the alleyway, Dillon's mana began to come back. They searched around them for any followers. "Why would the templars be here-" Isla began to say.

They were interrupted by a force that blasted towards them, knocking them all back onto the ground. Dillon lifted his head up from the ground, his vision struggling to focus as his mana drained again. He saw two men dressed in black suits stalking towards them. Carrell growled and jumped, pouncing onto one of the men. The mabari bared its teeth at him, but yelped as it was forced back, and placed into a glyph of paralysis. Isla pointed her pistol at their attackers, but grunted as her arm was kicked, her pistol flying away from her. "What the-" She gasped, but then was grabbed by the throat, and shoved against the wall.

She looked down at her attacker as she was lifted off of the ground, while her back was pinned to the wall. "Tranquil the mage. Kill the others." She heard another voice say.

"No!" Dillon cried out, taking the very last of his mana, and using it to focus on their attackers, creating crushing prison spells, paralyzing them all.

* * *

><p>Kian frowned as an alarm buzzed on the screen of one of his laptops on the conference table in his office. Dillon's name flashed, alerting that he had been using his magic outside of the Keep. Kian typed onto the laptop, looking for Dillon's location. The GPS had located him in an alleyway in the middle of the city, along with Isla and her mabari hound. He grabbed the phone on the middle of the table, and dialed. After a few moments, he finally spoke, "Isaac, we have a situation. Send Sean and Colin out to the coordinates I'm sending to their GPS."<p>

* * *

><p>Sean drove through the streets, taking the alleyways as shortcuts. "Dillon knows better than that. His mana is completely wiped out." Sean stated, shaking his head.<p>

Colin watched out the window as Sean drove the vehicle. "There!" He pointed.

They parked not too far away from the alleyway, and got out of the car. Colin pulled out a pistol from its holster strapped around his thigh. They stopped near the entrance of the alleyway, "I can sense them, but I can't feel any darkspawn," Colin said, confused.

They could hear a struggle, and the two Wardens turned into the alleyway, both pointing their pistols. Sean surveyed the scene; Dillon had been completely drained of mana, that he was unconscious on the ground, near another man dressed in black. "Who!" They heard from Isla, who had her foot clamped onto the throat of another man on the ground.

Her mabari's teeth were dangerously close to the man Isla had pinned to the ground. "Isla!" Colin cried out, rushing towards her.

Sean grabbed Dillon, and opened Dillon's lyrium pouch. He took a vial out, and before putting it to Dillon's lips, he slapped Dillon's face in an attempt to wake him. "Wake up, Dill!" Sean snapped.

He saw Dillon coming to, and then placed the vial to Dillon's lips, urging him to drink. As Colin slowed to a stop near Isla, he noticed a burning rage in her eyes, as she quickly glanced at him before turning her attention back towards the man she had pinned. Her pistol was pointed towards the man's face. "They're _templars_! Who _knows_ where their tranquiled _toy_ ran off to, but I'll be damned if my cousin will be turned tranquil!" She growled.

Colin stood closer to her, looking down at the man. "Templars?"

"Bastards won't answer my questions. So I figure we have no use for them!" Isla threatened.

"The practice of turning mages tranquil was outlawed by the church, I thought?" Sean asked, helping Dillon to his feet.

Isla squatted closer to the man's face, pressing the barrel of her pistol to his cheek, "So did I!" She said through her clenched teeth.

"Isla," Colin placed his hand on her shoulder gently, reminding her that he was in command.

Isla huffed, as she stood, allowing Colin to take over. The templar on the ground held his hands in defense, as the Wardens stood over him. "Who sent you?" Colin asked.

"You'll find out soon enough!" The templar hissed at them. "Soon, he will rise again!"

As soon as he was finished with his sentence, he shoved his hand into his pocket, pulling a pill out, and shoving it into his mouth. "No!" Colin attempted to stop the Templar, but he was too late. The templar had already bit into the pill, the poison immediately taking affect.

Isla stalked towards the other that was lying on the ground, using her foot to turn him over onto his back to face her. His eyes stared up, void of any life. "Maker's balls, this one's gone too!" Isla snapped.

"Come on, let's get back to the Keep. This is something that can't just sit and fester." Colin told them.

As the four and the mabari began making their way to their car, Colin stopped Isla, grabbing her arm. "Are you alright?" He asked her.

Isla glared up at him, her dark brown eyes still glowing with anger. "I didn't _need_ you to come to my rescue. Dillon and Carrell did perfectly fine in helping me."

Colin's eyes narrowed, "Oh really? Two _Templars_ that had drained Dillon's mana, and who knows what else happened, but judging by the bruise on your face I'm assuming it didn't go well! Dammit, Isla!"

Isla snatched her arm out of Colin's grip, "Fuck off, Colin!" She snapped, as she walked towards the car.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- Okay, short chapter 2, but I'm working my way up; there's more than one threat, as you can see, and next chapter, we'll see exactly what all entails with the newly evolved tainted blood, and their "duties". Thank you!<em>**


	3. Chapter 3

_"There's a saying, that history is written by the victor; their lies become your truth. Over four hundred years ago, the world had fallen into turmoil. Darkspawn had poured out, the fifth blight had been unleashed onto the nation of Ferelden. The Grey Wardens Alistair Theirin and Elissa Cousland had gathered an army of humans, dwarves, elves and mages, and defeated the blight. Not much later, in the city state of Kirkwall, the tension between the magi and templars had boiled over, causing an all out war, involving the Chantry, with innocents slaughtered on both sides. The Champion of Kirkwall had enlisted the help of her brother, who was also a Grey Warden. It was unusual for the Grey Wardens to become involved in political warfare, but when magi of Grey Wardens were threatened to be placed under the blade as well, the Grey Warden headquarters in Weisshaupt could not ignore it. The Hero of Ferelden and the Champion of Kirkwall had allied together, putting a stop to the massacre. Treaties were created between nations and all races. The Elven and Qunari had retreated to seclusion, the Chantry had become what you now know as the Catholic Church, and well...the Grey Wardens were charged with protecting mankind against the constant threat of the Darkspawn, as well as protecting the history that was rewritten over the centuries...the taint in our blood had evolved the minute that Alistair Theirin and Elissa Cousland had conceived; therefore opening the doorway to what we now are...we protect the truth we know, and the lies you see and live every day, through our treaties and through constant cover up. We are now simply known as The Order."_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Dillon hardly paid any attention to the commotion around him as others in the room were beginning to go on about the templars and tranquil mages, as he stared blankly at the table in front of him. His mana was slowly beginning to come back. "What I want to know is _who_ this Templar was talking about! Does the Church know anything about this?" Isla asked.

"What all did they say to you?" Kian asked.

Isla looked at her cousin who sat next to her. She gulped, "They said they were going to kill Carrell and I; they wanted to turn Dillon tranquil. Next thing I knew, they were paralyzed and Dillon was passing out. I _thought_I knocked one out, while I tried to interrogate the other guy you saw me with, but I guess he decided he'd rather roll with the pill popping technique." Isla sighed as she finished her story.

"They didn't say anything else?" Isaac asked his niece.

Isla shook her head, "They kept saying _he_ will rise again." 

Kian grunted, and looked at the younger Wardens in front of him. He eyed Dillon with slight concern, and then waved his hand. "Get some rest. We'll put off the mission until tomorrow. You've all had a trying day, and we _do_ need to get a hold of the Church." He told them.

They each stood, crossing their arms over their chests, bowing in respect to Kian, ending the meeting.

* * *

><p><em><br>"I _told_ you that everything comes back to bite us in the ass, didn't I?" Varric asked the woman pulling her dagger out of the tainted Grey Warden on the ground in front of her._

_Cassandra wiped the blade clean, and stepped back, putting herself behind Carver and Anders. "You were right, Anders." Carver sighed, kneeling down to the decayed body._

_"Corypheus must have taken his body after Marian had killed him. I _knew_ I felt something shift." Anders knelt next to his fellow Warden._

_Carver turned his head to look at his sister's partner, "I'm glad you brought my sister back. That way I can at least watch out for her. There would have been _no_ way you could have taken Corypheus on your own."_

_Cassandra crossed her arms across her chest, "So, _this_ is the Larius Varric had told me about?"_

_Varric rubbed his chin in thought, "Hmm. It looks like it, but Carver, you're telling me that he never came _near_ the Keep?"_

_Carver shook his head, "Never. The Commander would have said something, knowing what Corypheus had to do with my family. But, if he had the freedom he was looking for, why would he go after my sister? _Again_?"_

_Anders stood, "Well, let's get back. I can't feel any other shift. We have to ensure that Marian and yourself stay clear of the essence Corypheus has been after. We can't risk another Blight."_

_"You're right." Carver agreed, standing as well._

_Anders turned, but was caught off guard by the decayed face of the old Magister, spooking him backwards._

* * *

><p>Dillon shot upright out of sleep from his dream. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, breathing heavily. He looked around his room, seeing that the hearth burned lowly, the fire extinguishing. He nearly jumped at the sound of knocking at his door. "Dill!" He heard Isla's voice on the other side of his room door.<p>

"Come in!" He called out.

Isla opened the door, peeking her head in. "Can I come in?" She asked him.

Dillon nodded at his cousin, as he sat up. He realized he fell asleep on his couch in front of his fireplace, his ancestor's journal on his chest. Isla walked into the room, her mabari hound following closely behind her. He swung his legs over, to place his feet on the floor, and placed the journal onto the table in front of the couch. Isla sat, and took notice of the book he had just placed onto the table, "Anders' journal?" She asked him.

Dillon nodded. "I was looking for clues, I suppose."

Isla gave her mabari a piece of jerky, which he took happily, lying in front of the fireplace, eating in peace. "I wanted to check up on you." She told him.

Dillon shrugged, "I'm alright. I'm more concerned about what happened after my mana drained." He looked up at his cousin, noticing the look of worry on her face, "Did they hurt you?"

Isla shook her head. "What'd you find?" She asked him.

Dillon sighed heavily, and ran his hand through his short brown hair, "Anders' account of what happened with Corypheus," He looked at her, "You don't think the Wardens have another Magister of Old imprisoned, do you?"

She gulped, "Why would you think that?"

The situation of Corypheus weighed heavily within the Hawke bloodline. It gave Isla and Dillon reason to be nervous; their bloodline were the last to "kill" Corypheus, but they had read within their ancestry journals that he had in fact taken possession of a Warden Commander, causing the Hawkes to kill him yet again. That was the last they had heard, but they had always kept a close eye on a possible Blight being caused by Corypheus leading the Darkspawn to an Old God. The Hawke bloodline was closely guarded, since their blood was in fact powerful enough to make or break Corypheus. "I had a dream," Dillon began, "Or, I'd _been_ having dreams of my ancestors. But, for some reason, it always ends with seeing his face." He shuddered at the thought.

"Corypheus?"

He nodded at Isla's question. He looked up at her nervously, "Have you been having dreams of your ancestors?"

Isla stared at him for a moment, hesitating, "Sometimes."

She was hesitant to tell him of the other ancestors she had dreams of; their marriage; she knew what it meant and that it was forbidden. "Isla?" Dillon pried.

Isla rolled her eyes, and looked at him, "If you must." She began, "I dream of Alistair and Elissa at times."

Dillon's jaw dropped, his eyebrows rose in shock, "You know that's forbidden!"

Isla stood, letting out an annoyed sigh, "I _know_, alright? But I can't control it like you can!"

His eyes narrowed at her, "Why are you dreaming of Colin's ancestors, anyway? You can't join with him, it's never been done. You know our specific bloodlines have to be diluted."

"I-" She hesitated again, and turned to look at him, "I don't know." She lied.

Suspicion clouded Dillon's mind as he looked at his cousin. "Alright," He said. They stood in silence for a moment, "Do me a favor, though?"

She looked at him, and nodded. "Can you at least look through your ancestry journals and find any clues as to maybe anything else happening to Corypheus? Maybe Carver or Cassandra mentioned something that Anders and Marian didn't?" Dillon asked her.

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Sean pulled the arrow back, steadying himself, and concentrating on the target in front of him. He released, the bow whistling as it hit the bull's eye. He looked behind him, grinning at Colin, as he lowered his bow. They stood in the range area, practicing their archery, on the Keep's grounds. Colin shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Lucky shot." He smirked, as he stood walking towards his place in front of the target.<p>

Sean turned, and backed away, giving Colin enough room to shoot. "Unlikely," Sean grinned.

He took a swig of his water, as he glanced around him. The sun was almost ready to set, giving the sky a purple haze above the Tudor styled mansion that stood as the main house. His responsibilities of being a recruiter for possible Wardens was at a halt, since they had filled their ranks with those partaking in the Joining ritual. New and old Wardens alike were outside the other buildings that housed, trained, and educated their faction. His eyes stopped, gazing at a young Warden who sat under one of the large Willow trees, reading, as she munched onto a snack. Colin nudged his friend, "What is it?"

Sean shook his head, turning his attention abruptly to the target Colin had shot at. Colin looked to see what his friend stared at. His lips slowly turned upwards in a grin, "Ah!" He knowingly teased.

Sean rolled his eyes, getting his bow ready to shoot. "Have you talked to Mary yet?" He heard Colin ask him.

He shook his head, pulling the arrow back. "Why?" Colin asked.

Sean released the arrow, "Because I don't want to!" He snapped slightly in annoyance.

Colin leaned onto the bow as he steadied it into the ground, "Yes, you do. You're just a chicken shit."

Sean swung around, his green eyes flaring, "Why haven't you talked to Isla?" He accused.

"Touche." Colin agreed. He stood in silence for a moment, and rubbed his chin in thought, "Because she's one of the top four."

Sean shrugged, "And?"

Colin let out a laugh, "And what? It's never been done! Besides," He readied his bow, "I was only giving her an I'm-glad-you're-alive kiss." He then pulled the arrow back, and released. He then turned to Sean, "And then she punched me in the face."

"Yeah, after you told her you didn't know what came over you, you fool."

"She hates my guts. She would rather take this arrow," Colin held up an arrow to get his point across, "And use it as my ear cleaner, than be in the same room with me for more than five minutes."

"And you won't take that chance?" Sean pushed.

"You would?"

Sean shrugged, "I see how you two have been since we could walk." He walked by his friend, picking up his equipment, and turning to leave, "She _cares_ about you."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>

**AN - Thank you to all who added this story on their alerts list! I know it's going a bit slow, but I wanted to really introduce my characters, and what's to come. There's been so much much going on since the last update, and I've tried so hard to get over this hurdle, but thanks for being so patient! More tension between Colin and Isla to come, and also, if you have an idea of who "Cassandra" is, you are right! :) I'll be writing a lot of the "past" as the Wardens dig into their "Ancestry Journals" for clues in the coming chapters! And don't worry, it's going somewhere with a big plot, I promise :) Thank you everyone for being so patient!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN- I'm SOOOO sorry for the delay in updating. I've been so stuck on this chapter, rewriting, constantly trying to figure out how to squeeze into only one chapter, without revealing too much too soon. I'm sorry if you hate it, flame if you want, but don't be too harsh! Thanks to everyone who's added it to their alerts and favorites. I appreciate the support, and with changes happening in my personal life right now, I'm trying to push out chapters before I forget them! I blame it on the nugs.**  
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_**Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything. Don't sue me, I'm not making any money off of this, obviously.**_

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><p><em>"There's a saying, that history is written by the victor; their lies become your truth. Over four hundred years ago, the world had fallen into turmoil. Darkspawn had poured out, the fifth blight had been unleashed onto the nation of Ferelden. The Grey Wardens Alistair Theirin and Elissa Cousland had gathered an army of humans, dwarves, elves and mages, and defeated the blight. Not much later, in the city state of Kirkwall, the tension between the magi and templars had boiled over, causing an all out war, involving the Chantry, with innocents slaughtered on both sides. The Champion of Kirkwall had enlisted the help of her brother, who was also a Grey Warden. It was unusual for the Grey Wardens to become involved in political warfare, but when magi of Grey Wardens were threatened to be placed under the blade as well, the Grey Warden headquarters in Weisshaupt could not ignore it. The Hero of Ferelden and the Champion of Kirkwall had allied together, putting a stop to the massacre. Treaties were created between nations and all races. The Elven and Qunari had retreated to seclusion, the Chantry had become what you now know as the Catholic Church, and well...the Grey Wardens were charged with protecting mankind against the constant threat of the Darkspawn, as well as protecting the history that was rewritten over the centuries...the taint in our blood had evolved the minute that Alistair Theirin and Elissa Cousland had conceived; therefore opening the doorway to what we now are...we protect the truth we know, and the lies you see and live every day, through our treaties and through constant cover up. We are now simply known as The Order."<em>

**Chapter 4**

Isla took the enchanted pistol, and placed it into a holster strapped to her thigh, and looked up at herself in the mirror. She sighed heavily, and cautiously fixed the slight smear of her eyeliner. She pulled down on the strands of her black hair that fell around her porcelain face, and turned to examine the black spaghetti strapped dress she wore. Her pistol was concealed by the enchantment the mages had placed on it, but she saw it was also covered well by the skirt of her dress. She heard a knock on her door, and she quickly rushed to answer it. Colin's smile immediately faded at the sight of her. "Wow," He muttered.

Isla rolled her eyes, and pushed her way past him, closing her room door behind her. As they made their way down the hallway together, he stared at her. He was dressed in a black suit, with his pistols hidden within the coat. "You look," He began, but stopped as she glared at him. "You look really nice," He finally told her.

She swallowed harshly as they made their way down the stairs into the foyer where their other companions waited, dressed in suits as well. Dillon and Sean smiled at the two Wardens as they greeted them. Isla looped her arm through her cousin's, and the two walked out. Colin watched her, as Kian and Isaac briefed him. "Isla will scout undercover, and attempt to infiltrate this little flesh peddling ring the Darkspawn are running. Keep an eye on her, very closely." Kian told him.

Isaac smiled slightly at Colin, as he noticed the young Warden staring after Isla as she walked out of the mansion. "I understand." Colin told his father, as he and Sean left.

"This is a big risk, Kian." Isaac told his colleague.

"Understandable. However, Isla is right. Who else would be able to react sharper than her if something were to go wrong?" Kian sighed. "At least I take comfort in knowing Tyler and Branna had trained her well," He smiled at his fellow Senior Warden roguishly, "She's bested most of the Wardens here, and has had only _one_ close call. She's one tough cookie."

The two senior Wardens chuckled to themselves, as they recalled Colin's many attempts of defeating Isla in sparring matches. Her dexterity was like no other, as she easily evaded many of Colin's advances, and easily taking him to the ground. They both knew that any opponent of Isla would pay heavily, due to her extreme fighting skills. The tainted Wardens were already genetically more advanced than the normal human being, not only in their Darkspawn sensing skills, and some born with magic, but also of those who were schooled in the many fighting talents. The Elves had shared the secret of linking with animals, and using them to their advantage, therefore allowing the Wardens to advance in Ranger talents. Their scouts were taught as well as the head Warden families to use this talent in scouting for possible Darkspawn that were too far ahead of their positions. Now, the Senior Wardens had sent away the top four tainted Wardens to their undercover mission to attempt to find the root of the possible Broodmother problem. "Well, I will be in the War room monitoring their mission," Isaac excused himself.

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><p>The black limousine pulled up to the curb of the posh club. Isla took a deep breath, "Just remember to keep your hands to yourself, Colin." She warned her fellow Warden.<p>

Dillon and Sean rolled their eyes. "No worries, beautiful. I think I can manage keeping my paws off." Colin smirked as they stepped out of the limousine.

They stepped towards the club entrance that was closely guarded by largely built bouncers, keeping the line of hopeful attendees out. Sean stood in front of the bouncer who held a clipboard in his hands. "Sean Blount and guests." He said, giving him the fake name, and slipping a small wad of cash into the bouncer's hand.

The velvet rope was unclipped, allowing them into the club. After checking their coats, they stepped into the mayhem of loud music and the dancing crowd. "We won't be far," Sean told them.

Isla and Colin nodded, and Isla had begun grinding her teeth as she felt Colin's arm slip around her waist as he guided her through the crowd. He smirked as he felt her tense, and leaned to whisper into her ear, "We have to blend in, don't we?"

He swung her around to face him, and she let out a slight shriek as she slammed into his chest. Their noses nearly crashed into each other, and Isla quickly regrouped herself, and leaned back to look up at him. "Focus, you big oaf." She sniped at him.

Colin grinned, "I am."

Dillon and Sean walked towards the bar near the VIP area. Dillon turned towards the dance floor, and saw Colin swinging Isla around the dance floor to the music, much to the discomforted look on her face. He grinned, letting out a laugh. "He doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Sean grinned next to him.

"He'll be sorry for it, eventually." Dillon smiled.

The two frowned suddenly, as a rush hit their veins, causing their blood to boil. "Feel that?" Sean asked him.

They walked towards the VIP area, and peeked into the doorway, seeing two hooded figures slip into a VIP room. "There," Sean whispered.

Isla looked up from dancing with Colin, and stopped him. The familiar sensation hit her blood, and from the slightly strained look on Colin's face that abruptly appeared, she could tell he felt it as well. They turned, looking towards the VIP area, seeing Sean and Dillon slip past the velvet rope barring off the hallway. "Darkspawn," Isla growled lowly.

She began to walk away from Colin, and he grabbed her arm, "Isla wait," He stopped her.

She swung around, glaring at him, "If you don't start having faith in me, then you _will_ lose me!" She told him, before turning to leave.

He took in a deep breath, and followed her towards the VIP area. She brought up her arm to stop him, as she noticed a few men discussing with the two darkspawn they had sensed earlier. "Pray the enchantment worked to keep their senses from our own," She slightly smirked, as she made her way down the hallway.

She straightened her dress, and swayed her hips as she walked towards them, playing the part of a clueless woman stumbling upon a key into the "in-crowd". "What is she doing?" Sean whispered from behind him, as he and Dillon approached Colin.

"Her job." Colin told them.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Isla pushed out the most seductive and clueless tone she could muster in her voice as she approached her targets. "I seem to be lost," She giggled slightly.

The two Darkspawn had disguised their faces with enchantments of their own emissaries, to blend in with the human crowd, smoothing their complexions, hiding behind created illusions of human faces. But the sense of the taint had boiled in her blood as she approached them. One whispered to the man at the door to the VIP room, and the man finally looked at her. "Come with me, maybe we can help with that, miss." He smiled, offering his arm.

Isla smiled as she took his arm, following him down the hallway towards another doorway in the far end of the hall. The three remaining Wardens watched her disappear and the two darkspawn walk out of the back alley doorway. "You two take them, I'll go after Isla," Colin instructed.

"Be careful." Sean told him.

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><p>"Where did the other two go?" Isla asked, as she looked around the VIP suite, using her curves to her advantage.<p>

She turned to look at him, watching him sit on the plush black sofa, "Allow me to order some drinks?" He asked her.

"Of course," She smiled broadly, as she settled next to him.

He spoke to the waitress, and waited for her to leave, before turning to Isla. "What's your name, beautiful?" He asked her.

She quickly mustered up a fake name, "Sophia." She smiled.

"Beautiful name. I'm David." He introduced himself. "Tell me," He threw his arm over the back of the couch, turning his body to face her, "What brought you to the back of the VIP section?" He asked her.

Isla shrugged nonchalantly, crossing her slender legs towards him, intertwining her fingers around her knee, "In truth?" She saw him nod and she continued, "I saw you, and thought I should at least try to get to know you," She smiled.

He seemed satisfied with her answer, "I get a lot of women trying to get to know me, Sophia," The waitress returned with a bottle of champagne, and two glasses, and he uncorked the bottle, pouring their drinks after the waitress left them alone. "I _do_ own this establishment," He smiled, handing her a glass.

They clinked their glasses together, "Well, it looks as though I've made the right decision, no?" She coyly said to him.

"Perhaps," He told her.

They stared at each other, as they took the first sip of their glasses. He took her glass from her hand, and placed both onto the table in front of him. As his hand reached towards her leg, she knew it was time to make her own move. "So-" He abruptly stopped his words, as she grabbed his intruding hand, twisting it around, and before he could react, she had him planted face first into the sofa, with her knee lodged in between his shoulder blades.

He felt a barrel of a gun push into the side of his face as he tried to look up. "You're making the biggest mistake of your _life_, woman." He growled.

"I beg to differ." Isla hissed. "What were you discussing with the two _men_ before I approached you?" She demanded.

He licked his lips nervously, as he remained silent to her question. She pushed the barrel into his face so hard, he was almost certain she'd leave an indent in his cheek. "Women are disappearing, and my sources tell me it's beginning _here_."

He laughed slightly, but Isla looked up, as the door opened, the waitress stopping at what she was witnessing. David took the opportunity to react at Isla's distraction, and pushed up, flipping around to face her, slamming his hand into her chest, using a force spell, much to Isla's surprise, causing her to fly backwards into the wall across the room. Her gun had dropped out of her hands, and she looked up, as the waitress frantically rushed back out of the doorway. "You're a mage!" Isla gasped.

"That's right, _Warden_!" He growled, before slamming his foot upwards into her stomach, as she moved to all fours, trying to catch her breath. He then slammed his fist to the side of her face, grinning with satisfaction, as he saw her spit the newly created blood out of her mouth. "Now that you've revealed on who you were by your actions, you are the _perfect_ specimen." He reveled in her scream as he pulled her up by her hair to her feet. "Now, you're completely defenseless, your _only_ weapon gone!" She could feel his breath on her ear, as he pushed her against the wall, her back facing him. He lifted up his free hand, using another spell to force her hands against the wall in front of her, unable to move them. "The process starts _now_!" He grinned, as he lifted the skirt of her dress.

For the first time since she watched her parents die at the hands of the Dark spawn, she was truly scared, unable to move, or defend herself by screaming out for her companions to hear her. He moved back away from her to unbuckle his pants, but the split second was enough for Isla to feel another sensation in her blood that she silently praised the Maker for. A vicious growl erupted, as her Mabari leapt upwards, slamming into the mage, grounding him, viciously tearing at his arms he threw up to defend from the Mabari's teeth. Isla fell to the ground as the spell was released, letting the sobs rise out of her throat, as Colin rushed to kneel in front of her, with Sean and Dillon following closely behind. Dillon called off Isla's hound, and cast a sleeping hex onto the mage, before other Wardens hurriedly came to collect their new prisoner and to clean up the mess they had created. "Isla." Colin breathed out in relief, but immediately frowned as she refused to look up at him.

Carrell, her hound, finally came to her, trying to nudge at her arm in an attempt to comfort his Mistress. Isla finally looked up at her companions, her eyeliner now smeared from the tears that poured down her cheeks. "I-" She gulped down a sob, "I tried, Colin. I tried." She forced herself to say.

His hand came up to stroke her face, "I know, beautiful." He glared at the prisoner as he was carried off by the Wardens sent in to collect him. He then looked back at her, trying to give her a smile of reassurance, "You did good."

"Come on, doll." Dillon tried to help his cousin to her feet, "Let's get you healed up. That broken cheek bone won't heal itself."

Colin surveyed the room as the others left. He walked towards the end table near the couch, and saw a small pill, out and ready to be placed into whatever the mage had in store for Isla. He picked it up carefully, placing it into a small bag, and putting it into his coat pocket. He then saw Isla's pistol on the other side of the room, and collected that as well, before finally leaving for a long night of interrogations.

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><p>Colin stood outside of Isla's chambers, waiting for Dillon and Isaac to be done with their healing her. He pushed himself off of the wall as he heard her room door open, and Isaac stepping out first, giving Colin a look that he could not read, of whether it was disappointment in him, or fear of possibly losing another of his family. Dillon followed out of Isla's room, but stopped to speak to his friend, "My father wants to interrogate the mage prisoner. Your father is taking care of the two darkspawn with a few other Wardens." He paused for a moment, his gaze suddenly lost for a moment, in the thought of the mage prisoner nearly raping his cousin, and he finally looked up at Colin, "He would have raped her, and taken her to turn her into a broodmother." Dillon shook his head at the thought, "I'm sure my father will get the clear answers out of him, one way or another." He said aloud, and Colin could hear the anger in his voice.<p>

Colin nodded, and pat his friend on the shoulder, "Get some rest, buddy. We'll discuss this later."

Dillon had left, and Colin looked into Isla's room, seeing her laid on her bed, under her thick comforter, with her hound lying at her side. He knew her hound was supposed to sleep in the kennels with the other mabari, but it was obvious on why the hound would refuse to leave his mistress alone this night. Her hand absently ran up and down her hound's fur coat, as he lied quietly on the bed, awake, and watchful over his owner. As he walked into the room, she made no move to turn her gaze away from the window as he pulled up the chair at her bedside and sat. Colin folded his hands, attempting to come up with the right words to break the silence. Finally, to his surprise, she spoke up, not looking away from her window, "You were right."

He cleared his throat nervously, as he leaned forward towards her. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I'm not ready. I shouldn't fly head on with my ignorant passion of vengeance blinding me," Isla turned her head to look at him, and Colin was grateful to see that Isaac and Dillon's magic were enough to reduce the bruising on her face. "I put myself in danger, Colin. He was going to have me turned into a broodmother, but said the process started with him."

Colin stared at her in silence, watching tears well in her eyes, as she gulped harshly. His heart broke into pieces; the last time he had witnessed her break like this was when she was forced to leave her parents behind for their calling, as they were overwhelmed with dark spawn a few years back. "He was intent on raping me until I couldn't move, just for the darkspawn to come and take me away." She cringed at the thought of becoming one of the hideous broodmothers, that were taken so violently by the darkspawn.

Colin boldly grabbed her hand, holding it to his cheek, closing his eyes shortly, before kissing her palm. He looked at her intently, "I would _never_ let that happen to you."

Isla stared at him, partially waiting for a snide comment to follow what he had just promised. He surprised her by only rubbing her hand gently along his face. Finally, Isla swallowed the sob that threatened to escape her mouth at the thought of the heartbreak he had put her through previously, "_Why_ are you doing this to me?" She finally asked him.

He looked at her with question, as he continued to hold her hand. He shook his head slowly, as he hung his head, "Look, I know I've been an ass, Isla." Colin let her hand go, as he leaned back into his chair, rubbing his hands through his short cut blonde hair, "My father told me that joining oaths with you was risky, after I told him I was dreaming of your ancestors, Carver and Cassandra, and their union." He pushed himself out of the chair, and began to pace her bedside, as she followed him with her eyes, "It's been confusing for me, Isla. Maker knows, it's been one hell of a headache." He stopped, looking at her, "But I can't stop what I'm feeling for you. And if _your_ ancestors send me their memories, then to _hell_ with the risks, Isla." He sat back in the chair, grabbing her hand, "You know, when the mages had worked so hard to heal you when you were on the brink of death, I _was_ happy enough to kiss you. I was so happy that I could have yet another day to have you in my life."

"But _why_ did you tell me that it was only a celebration of life, and that we have duties to attend to over everything else?" She immediately interrupted him.

Colin let out an exasperated sigh, before answering her, almost reluctantly, "I had told my father what I felt for you. He told me about our Oath Joining being risky, and having the possibility of producing a child with the taint as strong as ours. I didn't have the dreams until afterwards."

Isla knew that the dreams he had of her ancestors was the sign the Order believed to be given for possible matches to join two Wardens together. "The love they had for each other, it was fiery, passionate, and infuriating." Colin admitted, "But, they _loved_ each other, and she followed him to his Calling. To death, and beyond. They loved each other that much, Isla." Colin shook his head at the memory of his own parents, "My parents were joined out of duty. My father had dreams of my mother's first ancestors, and she of his. But, their love for each other _grew_ over time, out of the friendship they had."

Isla let out a slight laugh, "My father rescued my damsel in distress mother from darkspawn, only to learn she caught onto fighting skills rather quickly after her joining. I couldn't go five seconds without seeing him publicly displaying his affections for her." She ached to have that childish disgust again at seeing her parents sneaking a kiss at every chance they had. Isla stared at Colin, as he looked down at his hands that now rested in his lap. She cleared her throat and spoke up again, "Alistair and Elissa were equally passionate, you know. Those two couldn't seem to keep their bloody hands off of each other."

Colin's eyes shot up to look at her, his eyes widening in slight shock, "You-" He stopped, realizing what she was admitting to. "You've had dreams of _my_ ancestors?"

Isla rolled her eyes, looking at her hound who had fallen asleep on the other side of her, "Don't get all excited, it was only once or twice."

A stupefied grin formed on Colin's face, as he leaned towards her, but immediately came to a halt as her hound's head shot up from his slumber, baring his teeth at Colin in warning with a low growl. Colin backed away, rolling his eyes, and sighed yet again in irritation as he heard his name at the doorway, "Your father requests your presence in the interrogation chambers."

As he stood to walk away, he could feel the hound's gaze on him, but missed Isla quickly petting the hound's face, and telling him what a good boy he was. "We'll need to talk about this more, you know. You _owe_ me an explanation," Colin told her, failing at hiding his amusement at her confession.

"Collect on it when your Calling comes, Colin!" She called after him.

The retort didn't bother him; he knew her too well to hear the sense of sarcasm in her voice, as he left her room.


End file.
